


When I Grow Up

by LimaBeanie



Series: When I Grow Up [2]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Band, Fluff, Growing Up, Kid Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:15:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26568658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LimaBeanie/pseuds/LimaBeanie
Summary: Remember that time when Yifan was seven, saw Junmyeon for the first time and immediately told his mother that he wanted to “marry the angel on the swings” when he grew up? Tao does and he will never let him forget it.———You don’t have to read part 1. This is just the completed version of part 1.
Relationships: Do Kyungsoo | D.O/Kim Jongin | Kai mentioned, Kim Junmyeon | Suho/Wu Yi Fan | Kris
Series: When I Grow Up [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1920835
Comments: 10
Kudos: 38





	When I Grow Up

**Author's Note:**

> I really wanted to get this in yesterday on the 19th but there was a power outage and it messed up my whole schedule 🙈 If it’s already the 21st in your country then I apologise for the lateness.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who helped me with ideas to finish this story! I’m so glad that I didn’t have to let this story die, and I couldn’t have done it without you! I hope that this was worth the wait 
> 
> Disclaimer: I’ve never been to Korea and so if I’ve made any mistakes please correct me. Also I tried to make the guys sound like their appropriate ages throughout the fic but I’m not around kids much so I probably messed up, so sorry. Also note that all ages referenced in the story are in Korean age. Also I wanted to respect their families’ privacy so I didn’t do any research into their home lives and such so the mentioned family members are probably OOC. 
> 
> Feel free to point out any mistakes that I’ve made and let me know what you think.

**1997**

Yifan: 8 years old

Tao: 5 years old

Junmyeon: 7 Years old

Yifan is really not sure how to feel about this Tao kid. On one hand it’s nice to not have to struggle with Korean with someone other than his mum, but he really wishes that his mum made friends with someone who has a kid closer to his own age. He’s pretty sure that Tao actually believes that The Tooth Fairy was the one who gave him ₩1000 for his front tooth. Ordinarily, Yifan would have set the kid straight, as the cooler and smarter Gē that he was, but he was pretty sure that Tao would just go crying to his mum. Then Tao’s mum would tell his mum, and then his mum might take his ₩1000 back, and Yifan cannot have that. He’s saving up for a plane ticket so that his dad can come visit them at their new house in Incheon. It’s been a few months since him and his mum left China, and he really misses him.

“Yifan Gē! Come push me higher!” Tao requests loudly, using his whole body to try make himself go higher on the swing, but being too weak to reach his desired height. That’s another thing about Tao, he’s so loud and bubbly, something the shy and introverted Yifan can’t get used to. He remembers how flustered he felt when their mums first introduced them, and Tao immediately ran up to him and hugged him calling him ‘Gē’ as if today wasn’t their first time meeting. “Hey, do you want a snack?” Yifan asks getting off his own swing. “Yes Gē! I’ll come with you!” Tao said, mixing a little Korean with his Chinese. Another thing that Yifan needed to get used to.

Tao jumps off the swing with a joyous laugh and immediately rushes to Yifan’s side and holds his hand, shocking the older boy a little, but starting to get used to Tao after a couple hours playing together. “Mum, can we please have a snack? Tao is hungry.” Yifan asks as soon as they reach the bench where their mother’s were busy chatting while the two of them played. “Actually I was just about to call you two for lunch. Are you ready to go?”

“Yes, Mum.” Yifan nods eagerly, being the one who was actually hungry.

“Wow! Such a good Gē you are Yifan! Taking care of little Zitao so well!” Tao’s mother compliments, and Yifan’s chest puffs up with all the pride an 8 year old can muster. “Teacher Lee says I’m really mature for my age!” Yifan brags proudly.

“He did did he?” Tao’s mum asks in amusement and Yifan nods, loving the attention.

“Yeah, I could probably get married.” Yifan says seriously, making the two mothers hold back their giggles. “No! You’re still my baby! I want you all to myself!” His mother fake whines, holding onto him tightly and peppering his face in kisses. “Mum! Not in front of the baby!” Yifan whines, his face going red in embarrassment, trying to pull away. He manages to get free once his mother eases her grip, and he straightens his shirt a bit in an attempt to regain his composure. But being the mother’s boy that he is, he can’t resist saying something to placate his mother. “Don’t worry Mum, I’ll wait till I grow up to marry the angel.” He soothes, patting her knee gently, as if **he** was the parent, and **she** was his child. “What angel?” Tao asks, looking around with his eyes wide, as if he somehow missed it before, and widening his eyes was going to magically help him spot the so called angel. Yifan sighs and rolls his eyes fondly before he wraps an arm casually around Tao’s shoulder to turn him in the right direction. Yifan was getting way too into his Gē role. “Over there by the sea saw. See?” Yifan explains, pointing out a little boy closer to Yifan’s age on the sea saw, most likely Korean, with an older boy. “That’s not an angel! He has no wings!” Tao protests in disappointment, refusing to be fooled by the older boy. Yifan sighs exasperatedly, as if he can’t believe that he even has to explain this, maybe it ain’t worth being able to speak his own language with another kid if he’s just going to have to explain simple things like this all the time. “If he’s not an angel then why is he so pretty?” Yifan asks Tao slowly, as if talking to a child, and to be fair he was. Tao takes another look at the boy, who was smiling softly on the sea saw. He was clearly enjoying himself, even if not in a loud and boisterous way like Tao would be. Tao could kind of see the appeal but, he has never really thought of another boy as pretty before. Yifan must take Tao’s silence as the boy agreeing with his assessment, because he smiles proudly to himself again as if he’s just won.

**2000**

Yifan: 11 Years old

Kyungsoo: 8 Years old

Tao: 8 Years old

Jongin: 7 Years old

“So do you boys have girlfriends?” Tao’s uncle asks them out of the blue one day.’ _What was with adults and that question?’_ Yifan wonders to himself. Tao and his friend from school, Kyungsoo, are barely 8. Yifan is pretty sure that they still don’t understand the concept. Judging by the way Tao’s uncle keeps checking his watch though, Yifan is pretty sure that the man just has no idea how to talk to kids, and is desperate for Tao’s mum to come back home and take over.

Tao nods his head eagerly and proudly holds up five fingers to show his uncle. Yifan is suddenly much more interested in this conversation. ‘ _Did Tao somehow manage to get into five relationships at school today?’_

“I have 5 girlfriends Uncle!”

“5?!” His uncle gasps in fake shock. It’s clear that the man doesn’t believe his nephew and is just playing along. Maybe this guy is not as clueless as Yifan first thought. “Uh huh! Yeri, Seulgi, Joy, Wendy and Irene!” Tao lists on his fingers proudly and Yifan has to hold back a snort. Yifan knows those girls. They are just girls from their neighbourhood that they are friends with. Well, technically Tao is right, they are girls and they are his friends. “Wow! What about you Kyungsoo? Do you have 5 girlfriends too?” Tao’s uncle asks, a bit too interested in the love lives of 8 year olds if you ask Yifan. ‘ _Does he actually believe that Tao is dating 5 girls? Adults are so dumb.’_ Kyungsoo just shakes his head and holds up one finger, not looking away from the episode of Pororo on the T.V.

Yifan suspects that Kyungsoo is not as interested in the show as he seems to be, but really just doesn’t want to talk to Tao’s Uncle. Kyungsoo has only just warmed up to Yifan, despite knowing him about a year now. The eight year old tends to go silent around strangers, especially adults. “Just one?” Kyungsoo nods in confirmation, still not looking at the adult. “What’s her name?” Kyungsoo mumbles the answers softly which none of them hear. “Pardon?”

“…inie..” Kyungsoo says again and Tao’s uncle is still clearly confused but doesn’t want to ask again. Yifan finds it funny how obviously intimidated by Kyungsoo Tao’s uncle is, but decides to throw the man a bone. The man was actually trying to engage with them, and Yifan was old enough to appreciate the effort. “He said Jonginnie.” Yifan clarifies, before giving a look to Kyungsoo who nods in confirmation. “Oooh.” The Chinese man says in understanding, but Yifan continues talking. “Jongin is a boy.” Yifan explains, guessing correctly that the man is unfamiliar with Korean names. “OH! Jongin is a boy?” The Chinese man asks Kyungsoo, clearly amused. Kyungsoo chooses that moment to finally turn his eyes from the T.V.

Kyungsoo simply nods before looking Tao’s uncle directing in his eyes, practically challenging the adult to correct him. Yifan can almost read the Korean boy’s thoughts. _‘Ajusshi, I said what I said.’_

“What about you Yifan? Do you have a girlfriend?” Tao’s uncle suddenly asks him, switching to Chinese as he loses the staring match that he was in with Kyungsoo, to face Yifan. ‘ _Kyungsoo really needs to teach me how he does that.’_ Yifan thinks to himself, impressed. Yifan is about to answer and say no when Tao’s mum finally arrives home.

“Mum! You’re back! Uncle was asking us about girlfriends and Yifan Gē was just about to tell us if he has one!” Tao explains - in Korean so that Kyungsoo doesn’t feel left out - after getting up and rushing to his mother to give her a welcome home hug. “Oh I can answer that question. Yifan is going to marry my boss, Mr Kim’s youngest son, Junmyeon. Remember sweetie?“ Uh… _no._ Yifan certainly does not remember, but Tao clearly does by the way that he suddenly bursts into laughter. “Gē! Can I come to your wedding?! I’m your bestest friend! You are going to invite me right?!” Tao demands, but doesn’t wait for the blushing boy to answer, before he’s asking his mum to buy him a new suit for his “bestest friend’s wedding.”

“Tao I’m not getting married.” Yifan manages to stutter out and the eight year old immediately sulks. “So there’s no wedding?”

“But sweetie. Don’t you remember? You said that Junmyeon must have been an angel because he was so pretty.” Tao’s mum asks him seemingly innocently, but Yifan knows that she’s just trying to tease him. It works, and now Yifan’s face goes even redder, because of course he remembers the angel now. He didn’t know that he was Tao’s mum’s boss’ son though. He just saw a pretty boy at the playground and called him an angel. It was an honest mistake. “Yay! So there is going to be a wedding after all!” Tao cheers, ignoring Yifan’s protests. “Hyung can me and Nini come your wedding too?” Kyungsoo asks innocently, and Yifan really wants a hole to swallow him up right about now.

**2004**

Yifan: 15 Years old

Luhan: 15 Years old

Baekhyun: 13 Years old

Tao: 12 Years old

Kyungsoo: 12 Years Old

So Noona, has your boyfriend told you that he’s already engaged yet?”

“Zitao! Let. It. Go. I was fucking 7 years old!” Yifan groans in embarrassment and exasperation while his girlfriend just giggles softly, albeit confused, at the interaction. “Babe please, don’t listen to him he’s an idiot.” Yifan pleads almost desperately. Tao’s bullshit was not going to be the reason that he lost his first girlfriend if Yifan had anything to say about it.

“Yeah, besides we all know Kim Junmyeon is too good for you anyway.” Luhan adds, earning him a high five from Tao. Luhan wasn’t there that day – having only met Tao and Yifan years later – but Tao brings it up often enough, especially after finding out that Junmyeon’s father was the CEO at the company where Tao’s mum worked, that everyone in their friendship circle might as well have been there that day. “Babe, are you done eating? You wanna catch that movie now?” Yifan asks his girlfriend, desperate to get away from his so called friends. “You still have 30 minutes left. We didn’t even get to the part where you called him an angel!” Baekhyun calls after Yifan, who’s already halfway out the door, face completely red as he pulls his giggling girlfriend along with him. “You guys are so mean to him.” Kyungsoo says, but nobody takes him seriously seeing as he was laughing the hardest. 

**2010**

Yifan: 21 years old

Junmyeon: 20 years old

Tao: 18 Years old

Sehun: 17 years old

Chanyeol: 19 years old

“Yifan! I cannot believe that you managed to hide this from me!” Sehun yells in lieu of a greeting as he approaches Yifan. Sehun was still deciding which university that he wanted to go to, so Yifan being the good hyung that he is offered to Sehun a tour of his campus while he was in town. But seeing the look on Sehun’s face, as he makes his way over to the water fountain where they decided to meet, Yifan was seriously regretting that now.

“Why are you calling me by my name like you know me?”

“Hyung, don’t change the subject!” Sehun says with a roll of his eyes. It’s not the first time that Sehun had forgone honorifics and it certainly won’t be the last, but Sehun plays along so that Yifan can’t distract him from the more pressing issue by starting a fight over something that they both _know_ Yifan doesn’t actually care about.

“I don’t even know what you are talking about Sehun.” Yifan lies, as if that would be enough to end this conversation.

“Kim Junmyeon goes here too!”

“Oh that.” They are definitely having this conversation then. ‘ _Tao is never going to get over this’_ Yifan thinks to himself. He really enjoyed the peace while it lasted.

“I was so shocked when I saw him on the way here! Why didn’t you tell me? I would have helped you talk to him!”

“How? You’re still in high school.” Yifan snorts “Besides its not a big deal. Just because I said that I wanted to marry him once when I was seven doesn’t mean that I’ve been pining over him all this time. That’s pathetic.” Yifan says rolling his eyes, seemingly unfazed by the fact that not only does Junmyeon go to the same university as him, but is a music major as well – not that Sehun knows about that. It’s no wonder he comes off as this aloof and intimidating cool guy. “Really? Well then I might just make my move then.” Sehun says, suddenly putting on his flirty face and looking over Yifan’s shoulder. Yifan whips his head around to look behind him, only to see Junmyeon, pointedly not looking in their direction, while talking to someone that Yifan doesn’t recognise, his cheeks the prettiest pink that he’s ever seen. Not for the first time does Yifan find himself grateful that his friends don’t have access to his inner thoughts. Something about having to see Junmyeon around campus all the time has recently reminded Twenty One Years Old Yifan what the Seven Years Old Yifan saw in Junmyeon all those years ago. Yifan just knows that if Sehun knew about his **_minor_** reawakened crush, then his ‘friends’ will make it seem like he had been pining for all this time, no matter how much he will try to tell them otherwise.

Junmyeon’s friend unsubtly whips his head in their direction, and Junmyeon can be seen whisper shouting at him, most likely telling him not to look. Yifan turns back to Sehun fully prepared to keep up his unbothered act, not wanting to fall for Sehun’s game, but when he sees Sehun sending one of his signature flirty winks Junmyeon’s way – the wink that never fails to make the poor heart at the receiving end melt, Yifan slips up.

“Oh Sehun, do you want to die?” Yifan lowly growls, physically restraining himself from clenching his hand into a fist. Anyone else would have backed down and cowered in fear by now, but not Oh Sehun. Yifan’s resting bitch face doesn’t really hit the same once one has seen him cry at the end of Finding Nemo.

“I cannot wait to tell Tao! He’s gonna be so mad that he missed the look on your face! Why don’t I have a camera?!” Sehun exclaims with that triumphant look on his face that Yifan hates more than anything in the world. Sehun pulls out his phone to either call Tao or take a picture, Yifan doesn’t care which as he gives Sehun a shove towards the fountain, before trying to get as far away from Sehun as he can. Sehun only stumbles a bit, having seen Yifan’s hand coming and braced himself accordingly. “Wait! You’re going the wrong direction! Your fiancé is that way!” Sehun calls out through his laughter before jogging to catch up with Yifan.

**2011**

Yifan: 22 Years Old

Junmyeon: 21 Years Old

Jongin: 18 Years Old

Sehun: 18 Years old

Yixing: 21 Years Old

Minseok: 22 Years old

Chanyeol: 20 Years old

Baekhyun: 20 Years old

Jongdae: 20 Years Old

Kyungsoo: 19 Years Old

Tao: 19 Years Old

Luhan: 22 Years Old

“Ya! Don’t mess up my hair!” Yifan yelps, dunking his head away from his boyfriend’s hands. Junmyeon snorts and a sly smirk creeps into his face. “I didn’t hear any complaints last night.”

“Yeah well my mummy taught me never to speak with my mouth full.” Yifan retorts with a bit of a childish pout, earning him a wicked grin from Junmyeon and a groan from all their friends. “I liked you better when you were a pining mess.” Chanyeol says, absolutely disgusted and purposely interrupting whatever Junmyeon was going to say. “I thought that you didn’t know Yifan hyung before they started dating?” Kyungsoo asks, confused. “I didn’t. I was talking about Suho hyung.” Chanyeol clarifies, just as confused. “Suho?” Tao asks, having never heard the nickname. “Forget about that. You were pining over me?” Yifan is looking at his blushing boyfriend with a triumphant smirk on his face, but Junmyeon was too busy looking at anything but him to notice. “For years! It would have been hilarious if it wasn’t so disgusting.” Minseok says with a look equally as fond as it was annoyed. That was clearly the face of a man who’s witnessed enough pining for several lifetimes. “Don’t exaggerate!” Junmyeon whines, still trying desperately to save face.

“Oh Hyung did you see him?! He’s so tall!” Minseok says in a high pitched voice that sounds nothing like Junmyeon but works at embarrassing just as well.

“Oh Yeolie! He’s so hot! Why am I being tortured like this??!”

“Why did it have to be her?! Just because she’s super pretty and can actually talk to him!” Jongdae chimes in now, and his vocal impression is surprisingly spot on even if Junmyeon never actually said the last part.

“I don’t understand why I have to write this essay on King Sejong the Great, as if there’s anything greater than how Yifan wore his hair today.” Minseok comes in again, still in that terrible high pitched voice.

“No hyung! That’s not it! It was ‘What’s the point of calculus if it can’t help me figure out why Yifan is personally attacking me with his new haircut?’” Yixing corrects, trying hard not to laugh and ruin the impression. He failed.

“No. No. No you’re both wrong it was ‘How am I supposed to focus during Korean if…”

“Okay! We get it! I had a little crush.” Junmyeon quickly interrupted Chanyeol before they figured out that Junmyeon had in fact said all of those things at some point. “I fucking love you.” Yifan says a little breathlessly to himself, making Junmyeon snap his head to his boyfriend, his eyes wide. “What did you just say??!”

‘ _Shit! Did I say that out loud??!! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!’_

“Nothing” Yifan says trying to sound casual, but the panic is evident in his eyes. “Pretty sure that you said that you ‘fucking love’ him Hyung.” Sehun says helpfully. ‘ _I’m going to kill you and everything you love in your sleep.’_ Yifan tries to communicate with his fierce glare, but his so called friend has long built up an immunity to it. Yifan is about to voice his thoughts but is distracted when his lap is suddenly full of his boyfriend. “Wha…” Yifan’s question falls short when Junmyeon shuts him up with his lips. “So I guess this means that you don’t mind?” Yifan asks shyly when his lips are free. “I’m in love with an idiot.” Junmyeon says, more to himself than as a reply, with the most disgustingly fond look on his handsome face, before peppering his boyfriend’s face and neck with kisses. “And I feel my lunch coming back up.” Jongdae groans, earning him a pair of middle fingers from the now making out couple. “Get a room please! There are innocent eyes present!” Minseok says covering Sehun’s eyes, making Kyungsoo snort in amusement. Junmyeon and Yifan actually listen though, and leave just as Sehun comments that he has probably seen more things than Minseok has. “And how would you know what I’ve seen Sehun?” Minseok asks, which promptly distracts everyone from the couple that’s already halfway to Yifan’s car.

**Author's Note:**

> Gē is the Chinese version of Hyung. This is according to a quick Wikipedia search so please correct me if I’m wrong.
> 
> Comment, Kudos, share and all that good stuff.
> 
> Side note but if I started taking prompts would any of you be interested?


End file.
